Palm Sunday Of The Passion Of The Lord – Year B

Welcome Back to Mass Message from Archbishop Leo Cushley

Archbishop Cushley has welcomed church re-openings and thanked clergy and volunteers in this video message for parishioners in our Archdiocese.

Watch “Praying the Passion According to St. Mark” by Archbishop Cushley

In case you missed it on Tuesday, 23rd March, you can still watch Archbishop Cushley’s INSPIRE Lenten Prayer Talk, “Praying the Passion According to St. Mark,” at bit.ly/ArchYouTube

Booking Opens Monday, 29th March, 9:00am for Holy Week and Easter

On Monday, 29th March at 9:00am, booking for seats for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter will open on the Cathedral website https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/. You may also call the parish office 0131 556 1798. For Extraordinary Form (Old Rite) liturgies, please contact Fr. John Emerson, at 0131 332 3750 or jfe1@mac.com. Book for Polish Mass at https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/masstimes, under ‘Mass in Polish’

Easter Triduum from the Cathedral with Archbishop Cushley on YouTube

The following liturgies will be available on the Archdiocese’s YouTube channel: Holy Thursday, 7pm | Good Friday 3pm | Easter Sunday 9am. All celebrations with Archbishop Cushley from St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh. Online at bit.ly/ArchYouTube

Cathedral Stations of The Cross – Online: Fridays of the Weeks of Lent

The beautiful Lenten tradition of praying the Stations of the Cross is available from the Cathedral online. By 12noon every Friday, the recordings of the Stations are posted on the website https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/edinburghcathedral/ as well as on the Cathedral podcast page: https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/podcasts


Cathedral Holy Week And Easter Schedule

Holy Thursday, 1st April: 7pm

Good Friday, 2nd April: 3pm Passion of the Lord; 7pm Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday, 3rd April; 8pm Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday, 4th April

8am, 9am, 10am (Polish\, 11am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm (Polish), 7.30pm

Confessions: After 12:45pm Mass on Monday-Wednesday of Holy Week


Ravelston Holy Week And Easter Schedule

Holy Thursday, 1st April: 7:30pm (Old Rite)

Good Friday, 2nd April: 3pm Passion of the Lord; 5pm (Old Rite)

Holy Saturday, 3rd April: 7:30pm (Old Rite)

Easter Sunday, 4th April: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12noon (Old Rite)

Tenebrae Online 5:30am Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday

Tenebrae, meaning darkness or shadow in Latin, will be chanted at 5:30am on the mornings of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday by the Religious Sisters of Mercy at St Andrew’s, Ravelston. Register here

The whole service lasts a little more than an hour. This centuries-old rite, which combines the Liturgy of the Hours and Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah, begins in darkness, except for the light of 15 candles. Between the psalms and lamentations, one by one the candles are extinguished. As the light of dawn appears, the only candle still lit is the centre candle, symbolising Christ conquering the darkness of sin and death in the world. This candle is carried out of the chapel, after which those remaining in darkness begin to beat on the pews to symbolically represent the earthquake at the Resurrection, and the candle is brought back into the chapel as the Light of Christ appears


St. Joseph Family Prayer Books and WEE BOXES Available This Weekend

The new, pocket-sized St. Joseph’s Family Prayer Book – a “spiritual toolbox” and a treasure filled with prayers for the whole family – and SCAF Wee Boxes – from the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) to collect donations to help children with disabilities in South Sudan– will be available – as long as supplies last! – at the passkeepers’ table this weekend! This year £1 = £2! Your SCIAF Wee Box donation will make twice the difference to 11th May, with all public donations to be doubled by the UK government!

Pro-Life Stations of the Cross: Monday, 29th March, 7:45pm-8:15pm

Archbishop Cushley will give a reflection at the online Stations of the Cross, organised by the Pro-Life Office, this Monday at 7:45pm. Register at http://standrewsandedinburgh.eventbrite.com

Cathedral Chandeliers Winching System Installation Begins 6th April

From Tuesday, 6th April the work will begin for the installation of the new mechanical winching system for the Cathedral chandeliers. Thank you to all parishioners who have so generously contributed to the purchase of the new winching system repair effort so far! Please donate to help us meet this expense at: https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/donate

Easter Knitted Goods to Support the Cathedral

Please support the Cathedral by buying some Easter-themed knitted gifts at the table in the Octagon this weekend or online at https://www.kathedralknits.etsy.com

All the profits from all sales are very generously donated by our own wonderful parishioner Joanna Kopystynska to the Cathedral.

Craig Lodge Events and Family Retreats

Craig Lodge is a house of prayer and home to a Catholic lay community. To see a list of upcoming events, including Family Retreats especially tailored to parents & young families in July, August and October visit: https://www.craiglodge.org/events or contact mail@craiglodge.org, Craig Lodge, Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland, PA33 1AR.

Read the newsletter for 28th March (pdf)